I’m so excited to be back in the classroom this year! After 14 years as a special education resource teacher, I changed gears to work in the capacity of an Instructional Coach and Special Education Coordinator in high needs schools. […]

Welcome to my second grade classroom, my home away from home. Each year, I refine my classroom with special finds from Target and Hobby Lobby (my favorite!) to make it comfortable and inviting. I love to think outside of the […]

Yesterday in part 1 of my blog series, Guided Reading Survival Guide, I explained how teachers must go beyond the basal to provide several authentic, high-quality supplemental texts ranging in complexity and genre to promote a deeper understanding of content. In […]

Guided reading can be daunting, especially with the new instructional shifts and standards. Teachers are asking themselves such questions as: “What texts do I use?” “What strategies do I teach?” “How do I motivate and engage?” “How do I integrate […]

Retelling is the process in which a child reads or listens to a story and then summarizes it in his own words including the beginning, middle and ending. Retelling helps students develop a sense of story structure and become more […]

“Hello, Ramona the Rereading Raccoon is my name. Using context clues is my favorite game. As you read, ask yourself: Does it look right, does it sound right, and does it make sense? I guarantee my strategy will make you […]

“My name is Dexter the Detecting Deer. Now let me tell you why I’m here. I’ll help you look for picture clues, So you don’t get the reading blues. Look at the pictures to figure out What the words are […]

‘OWL’ of our hard work has paid off! We are thrilled to announce the launch of our products at Really Good Stuff, a leading educational catalog company that sells high-quality, innovative teaching tools. Really Good Stuff discovered us and were […]

Do you love our reading strategies animals but aren’t sure how to incorporate into your classroom theme? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! You don’t need to have an owl or woodland theme at all. Create your own personalized […]

Hazel Hoot, an adorable green screech owl, is a struggling learner as she lacks the strategies needed to help her succeed. In our charming book, Hazel Meets the Reading Strategy Friends, Hazel stumbles upon a magical tree in the forest. […]

Guiding reading can be daunting, especially with the new instructional shifts and standards. Teachers are asking themselves such questions as: “What text do I use?” “What strategies do I teach?” “How do I keep all students engaged?” […]

Do you ever feel like Miss Nelson, calmly asking the class to settle down while they choose to squirm, giggle and whisper instead? As spring fever hits, patience and persistence decreases and our inner Viola Swamp starts to emerge. […]

Halloween is just around the corner and kids are focused on costumes, candy and creepy creatures–it’s enough to make you batty! Use this “Stellaluna” and Nonfiction Bat Unit to engage all learners while teaching critical Common Core Reading, Writing and […]

Does the thought of reading groups make you shudder? Unfortunately for many teachers, the answer is yes. Teachers simply don’t have the necessary resources needed to meet the diverse academic needs of students. Available resources are usually old, outdated basal […]

Students are loving our decoding and comprehension strategy animals. It is amazing to see how engaged they are and great reading progress they are making. 🙂 They especially love the accompanying story Hazel Learns to Read and the adorable animal […]

We are pleased to announce that Astute Hoot digital downloads and products are now available at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Astute-Hoot/%22%3e%3cimg This colorful and engaging bulletin board introduces 10 research-based comprehension and decoding strategies to children. Each animal character represents a strategy […]

Parents, does this sound familiar: “I’m too tired to read,” “You read it to me mommy,” “I already read at school today.” Sometimes having kids practice their reading at home can turn into a chore or a fight, even when […]